Sports leagues across the world are shutdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the next big event for most fans to tune into is the NFL draft. The league is hoping the draft can serve as a welcomed distraction for the country, and we’ve got a fresh batch of notes on what’s happening from Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. It’s been assumed for a while now that the Bengals will be taking Joe Burrow with the first overall pick, but that apparently isn’t set in stone.

While the expectation is still that Burrow is the pick, there is “a lot of buzz in scouting circles that the Bengals will at least listen to calls” on potential trades for the top choice, Miller writes. Since there’s no one ahead of them, it wouldn’t make all that much sense for the Bengals to be playing games if they weren’t actually planning to listen to inquiries. As of a couple of weeks ago we had heard that the Dolphins were still interested in trading for the first pick and selecting Burrow.

Here’s more on the draft, which will now be held remotely:

New Redskins coach Ron Rivera has said ever since he took the position that Dwayne Haskins won’t just be handed the starting quarterback job and will need to compete. That has led to some rumblings that Washington could use the second overall pick on a quarterback, but that looks like it was all bluster. Sources told Miller that the Redskins are not considering using the pick on a passer, and it continues to look like Ohio State defensive end Chase Young will be the pick.

The Giants are in an interesting spot with the fourth pick, and Miller writes that he’s heard talk out of New York that the team loves Clemson do-it-all linebacker Isaiah Simmons. While Miller has made Simmons the pick in his latest mock draft, he notes there has been “quiet buzz building for Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs“ with the fourth overall pick. The Giants could certainly use an offensive tackle as well as Simmons’ versatility on defense, so either pick would make sense.

Speaking of the Dolphins, if they aren’t able to pull off the shocking trade up for Burrow, their situation is pretty up in the air. Although there has been a ton of talk over the last year linking Miami to Alabama signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa, multiple sources told Miller the team isn’t “convinced Tua is the best option and could instead target Oregon’s Justin Herbert.” In fact, the “buzz around the league is that Herbert has the most fans in the Dolphins’ draft room,” Miller writes. This echoes what Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald wrote back in February, when he reported that Miami had an “increasingly positive” view of Herbert and that the Dolphins were concerned about Tagovailoa’s hip as well as his long-term durability.

The Jets lost Robby Anderson in free agency and didn’t do much to replace him or add receiving help outside of signing Breshad Perriman. They could certainly use another wideout and while the sources Miller talked to still expected the Jets to take an offensive tackle with the 11th overall pick, he also learned that the team is very high on Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb. Lamb put up ridiculous numbers with the Sooners last year, racking up 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games.

Jets do tackles but a wr1 is a larger need. Darnold hasn’t had legit wr to throw to his entire career the only excuse to not pursue the hopkins and diggs trade harder is if they’re getting a wide out at 11. Tackles are available in every draft but top wr aren’t

per PFF on the Jets o-line ranking, “The premier acquisition of the offseason for the Jets, Le’Veon Bell, failed to make the impact that New York had hoped for when it signed him to a big-time contract. The offensive line, paired with scheme, was a big part of that problem. The Jets averaged just 0.7 rushing yards before contact per attempt, the lowest mark of any team in the NFL. Add in that they allowed pressure in 2.5 seconds or less on 27.5% of their dropbacks (second-highest mark in the NFL), and it’s not hard to see why they find themselves at 28th on this list”. …. in other words you can have 3 probowl wr but if you have no time to throw the ball doesnt matter

What if Jacksonville traded Yannick Ngakoure and their 42nd pick in the draft for the Cardinals 8th pick and a future first.
So basically Yannick and a second for 2 first…

Cards can easily create cap space and can then afford to pay Yannick. Ngakore and Chandler Jones would be great on defence together plus Bubba Baker and Patrick Peterson in the backfield would make a good group. The offence already has Murray, Drake, Hopkins, Fitzzy and Kirk. Cardinals being a young team and after acquiring some big names do they become a playoff team? Last year they were 5-10-1 and their follow division team the Rams have gotten worse.

Jags on the other hand get two picks in the top 10 which really helps a rebuild to go with their other first round pick at 19. Plus they get a first in the future from the Cards. Jags should then select an Jeff Okudah if available at 8 otherwise there’s a good selection of OT’s, DT’s and WRers.

Dude you’ve been preaching this for months. Let it go. Teams aren’t looking to lose on purpose for a pick. Most rosters turnover quite a bit year to year so that’s not on players minds. There are too many variables. Plus players and coaches are all playing for jobs the following year, and in future years. Unless they blatantly quit on a coach teams will fight and not try to lose on purpose.

While all of this is true, Gettleman trading for Leonard Williams was insane, though. They were going nowhere and winning an extra game or two (they beat the Redskins and Dolphins down the stretch) was much more of a negative than a positive. So why acquire pieces that will only help you enough to severely effect your draft place?

That I agree with on Williams, horrible trade and wasting a very valuable pick. Just like using a 4th round pick on Kyle Lauletta. I really hope they most the most out of this draft. I would love for them to trade back in the first round to acquire and additional 2nd round pick. This way they can draft one defensive player, and two O-line.

Maybe. Clowney and Garrett were supposed to be beasts coming out of college also. Have not been beasts. Young Giants needed to start learning how to win in NFL. Those late season wins had value. This is a good draft and Giants will find a player with pro bowl potential at 4.

Can’t see the Dolphins trading up for the first overall pick. They have no depth at either OT spot so they need to address that and can probably do so with the 3 existing picks they have in the first round. Of course they did make OT Jake Long the first player selected in 2008 so anything is possible with the fish.

Yeah, it’d be a pretty foolish move. When you look at a lot of the past drafts, very rarely does the first QB taken end up being the best. Burrow could very well buck the trend, or he might not. It’d take a king’s ransom though to find out, which seems silly to pay.

Its a team game and usually the team that needs a QB and is that high up in the draft needs alot more than just a QB. The last one i can think of that didnt is Luck and that is because Manning had surgery and the team was scrap heaping Qbs that year.

Burrow maybe the best athlete and overall skill wise the best QB but unless there is significant upgrades pretty much all over the team, he is not going anywhere.

I believe all these rumors about the Dolphins wanting to trade up from 5 are complete nonsense being thrown out be media desperate for clicks/views. I think there is a better chance of them trading up from 18 to try to get one of the top OT prospects.